Artificial feeding-Terri Schiavo

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I posted this here becaue I think this subject is something that we as nurses deal with on a regular basis.....Many many people state that they have a big problem with the feeding being stopped "allowing her to starve to death" The Vatican says " To starve her to death is pitiless" Most everyone agrees that it is one's right to refuse to initiate artificial feeding but somehow this situation "is different" How? The patient "starves to death " in both cases-so why has this one galvanized the WORLD? My husband read me a quote from the Bible -forgive me because I can't remember it in detail-it was something along the lines that a woman marries and leaves her father's house and her husband becomes her family....My husband is my POA I hope no-one in my family questions his motives -He KNOWS exactly what I want....I can't question her husbands motives-I know that some suspect foul play and state the results of a bone scan support this...That bone scan was obtained 53 months after she went into her coma-after her body suffered the effects of her eating disorders for a number of years.... Her present level of responsiveness does not pertain to this matter IMHO-she CAN'T eat naturally--she did not ever want to "be kept alive like that " and she can't state otherwise at this point...So- #1 can someone PLEASE make me see why this case is" DIFFERENT" and #2 How do YOU support your patients and their loved ones when they are agonizing over this decision? ONe thing I always ask is "Did your loved one ever give you any idea of what they would want if something like this happened" and if they did then I advocate that stance for that pt as much possible.......I believe that death is the last great trip we'll go on and we should PLAN it as much as possible.The greatest GIFT we can give to our loved ones is an itinerary...........

OH MY GOD!

:confused:

There are actually people who disagreed with the method of Terri's death.

I'm not so sure of the abuse charges - but I completely agree that pulling out a feeding tube in a healthy but brain damaged person is wrong. Especially since we didn't know her wishes. We can speculate all we want about "how she lived her life" and how that supposedly points to how she would have chosen, but the truth is WE DON'T KNOW.

I can see how she might not have wanted heroic measures as in a ventilator . . . . . but I can also see her parent's point that as a Catholic she would have been ok with a feeding tube. But the truth is I DO NOT KNOW EITHER.

So as others have said, I would err on the side of life. Otherwise I see this as the beginning of what could be a terrible time for people with less than perfect lives and bodies.

steph

I wept as I read this. :(

She has been gathered in the arms of the purest Love, and is gently being carried home. May she rest in eternal peace.

May those on both sides of this issue find resolution and closure.

Let us keep this thread as a loving tribute to Terri only.. and take what lessons we can from her life and her death.

Welcome HOME, Terri.

Here is a little personal tribute to Terri as suggested above (since she is Catholic, it assumes that she is in heaven and she can read this):

=====

Terri, you have suffered for so long.

Terri, you did not suffer in vain. Your suffering has open up us to discuss subjects that we generally do not feel comfortable discussing. Your suffering has opened up many difficult issues that our society must face. I wish you did not have to suffer like this to wake us up to these difficult issues. Just let you know you did not suffer in vain.

Terri, thank you for your life. Thank you for granting us the privilege of walking with you in spirit for a brief season. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to wrestle and to grow as a result of this.

Terri, may you now find rest, rest from all the suffering.

May you now come home, come home into the arms of your God in peace.

To paraphrase St. Paul, may the temporary earthly broken tent that you live in and clothed you for so long be exchaged for a pernmanent heavenly building from God.

Last, may you now sing and dance with joy and cause a smile on God's face.

Thank you again for your life.

=====

-Dan

Specializes in ICU, step down, dialysis.

Maybe this was mentioned before, but one thing I am really surprised at is that she was able to last this long after the tube withdrawal. I was thinking the human body could only live a few days without any kind of fluid whatsoever.

I just hope that hospice care and the idea of hospice care and comfort care hasn't suffered too much. Morphine and withdrawing fluids/nutrition still has a place. I also hope that this whole thing doesn't end up affecting families' decisions to remove vent support on brain dead pts.

I worry about that too . . . . the mixing of hospice and this case may prove to be disastrous.

stepy

"Last, may you now sing and dance with joy and cause a smile on God's face"

Amen.

steph

Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
"Last, may you now sing and dance with joy and cause a smile on God's face"

Amen.

steph

and Amen.

I just hope that hospice care and the idea of hospice care and comfort care hasn't suffered too much. Morphine and withdrawing fluids/nutrition still has a place. I also hope that this whole thing doesn't end up affecting families' decisions to remove vent support on brain dead pts.

We discussed this very thing at our hospice meeting today.

God rest her sweet soul. I just have this huge lump in my throat thinking that over the weeks and months to come, all of the unsavory details of this whole episode are going to come out bit by bit and shed light on all of the procedural irregularities and conflicts of interest that were involved in this fiasco. There are just too many passionately committed people involved at this point to think for a minute that it is a closed book. I've been reading excerpts from Felos's book and have already started hearing about connections between him and various associates of the court being traced back to this hospice. What if, at the end of this all, we learn that the whole thing was orchestrated by a euthanasia movement? What do we say to Teri's parents? Ooops? Sorry?

Specializes in ICU, step down, dialysis.

Although in the end this whole thing brought to the public's attention of what our wishes would be at the end of our lives, I really can't help but think that the real reasons behind this was simply a control issue and utter selfishness. That both parties, Michael and Terri's families, wanted control over her and that their hatred towards each other fueled this into such a public fiasco. Even though I had sided with Michael, I still wonder if he truly thinks all of this was worth it. Had I been in his shoes, I think I would eventually allowed Terri's family to take over guardianship and allow her to go on and then move on with my own life. Was this truly worth all of this?? Maybe so, but I doubt it. I think both sides will continue to feel the anger and pain long after she is gone.

This all just seems fueled by both sides hatred of each other. JMO.

This situation will set back hospice care, big time. I am still fuming over Mr. Schaivo suggesting that hospice personnel would intentionally OD Terri on MSO4; as a former hospice nurse, I am offended for myself and my hospice collagues.

And unless someone has direct evidence that Terri's husb. was abusing her, it is irresponsible and unprofessional to even suggest that. Even heard of a little thing called slander? (You can be sued for it.)

Terri's brother-in-law has been getting death threats from so-called supporters of Terri...really great. :uhoh3: (So much for being pro-life.)

Although in the end this whole thing brought to the public's attention of what our wishes would be at the end of our lives, I really can't help but think that the real reasons behind this was simply a control issue and utter selfishness. That both parties, Michael and Terri's families, wanted control over her and that their hatred towards each other fueled this into such a public fiasco. Even though I had sided with Michael, I still wonder if he truly thinks all of this was worth it. Had I been in his shoes, I think I would eventually allowed Terri's family to take over guardianship and allow her to go on and then move on with my own life. Was this truly worth all of this?? Maybe so, but I doubt it. I think both sides will continue to feel the anger and pain long after she is gone.

This all just seems fueled by both sides hatred of each other. JMO.

I just heard two fairly intellegent young people (13 and 15) discussing "The terri thing" and they were asking why Michael is being crucified for doing what she had been doing to herself before her collapse? A very interesting take on the situation IMHO

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
I just heard two fairly intellegent young people (13 and 15) discussing "The terri thing" and they were asking why Michael is being crucified for doing what she had been doing to herself before her collapse? A very interesting take on the situation IMHO

They obviously don't understand what bulimia is, then. She wasn't starving herself to death, she was binging and purging. There is no indication that she knew her behavior could have such drastic consequences on her health. As a matter of fact, the reason Michael won the malpractice settlement against the doctor is because he failed to diagnose the risk to Terri's health.

+ Add a Comment